Review of Balefires by David Drake

The Early Horror Stories of One of Military SF's Greatest Writers

Jun 30, 2009
John Markley

Balefires by David Drake - Richard Pellegrino, Night Shade Books

Night Shade Books gathers the early horror stories of science fiction and fantasy author and military science fiction pioneer David Drake in this excellent collection.

David Drake is best known for his work in the field of military science fiction. However, much of his earliest writing was in the genre of horror, often with roots in classic pulp magazines like Weird Tales. Many of these early stories were largely inaccessible to most readers until recently. Fortunately, Night Shade Books has gathered these stories together in Balefires: Tales of the Weird and Fantastic (April 2004, ISBN 1-59780-071-6 ).

A Look at David Drake's Roots

The book collects 24 of David Drake’s horror and fantasy stories. They span the period from 1966 to 2005, with the majority originating in the 1970’s. A few of them have been reprinted in Drake collections released by Baen Books, but many of them were published in short fiction anthologies or magazines during the 1960’s and 1970’s and have been unavailable otherwise.

Balefires is an essential book for David Drake fans, and well worth reading for people who enjoy horror and dark fantasy. Most of the stories are quite dark in tone, and often not for the squeamish. The skill at portraying intense action prominent in David Drake’s military SF is also demonstrated here, and Drake’s talent for description and visual imagery is effective in creating atmospheres of both visceral horror and cold menace and dread.

Horror Across the Ages

Drawing on his own experiences as a military veteran, many of the stories involve American troops in Vietnam who encounter bizarre or supernatural events. Other stories are set in contemporary rural or small-town America. Drake also makes extensive use of his knowledge of history and Classical literature, with stories set in Greek or Roman antiquity, Viking-era Scandinavia, and 19th Century Africa.

Several stories have themes of cosmic horror in the vein of H.P. Lovecraft, showing or hinting at a universe full of terrors beyond human knowledge or comprehension. Most of the menaces in the stories are supernatural in nature, but Drake quite chillingly portrays the evil humans are capable of as well, most notably in “Than Curse the Darkness,” an historical story set in the Congo during the brutal era of the Congo Free State.

Background Materials

Each story is prefaced by notes from Drake explaining the origins and inspirations of the story and the circumstances of its writing and publication. He talks about the effects of his military service in Vietnam on his writing, real-life locations that he turned into story settings, his relationship with prominent figures like August Derleth, and the influence of his love of Latin literature and Classical history.

Each of these sections is fairly short, but together they are intriguing reading for any David Drake fan, as well as anyone interested in the world of late 1960s and 1970’s horror fiction.

About David Drake

David Drake was born in Iowa in 1945. From 1969-1971, he served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army’s 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. He subsequently worked as an attorney and bus driver until he began writing full-time in 1981. He sold his first story in 1966, and has subsequently written dozens of stories and novels. (Source: David Drake's Official Homepage)

He is considered one of the most influential writers in the subgenre of military science fiction, and his “Hammer’s Slammers” stories are among the seminal works of that field. He has also written space opera including the Reaches Trilogy and the ongoing RCN (Republic of Cinnabar Navy) series, epic fantasy such as the Lord of the Isles series, horror, and historical fantasy.

Stories Included in Balefires